How to Get on Local News: A Practical Guide
It’s a common question in the world of PR: How do I get my brand or organisation on local news? While getting coverage on the big national outlets is certainly a desirable outcome, for savvy PRs, widespread regional coverage can foster new layers of impact in a campaign.
Local newsrooms are always looking for strong, human stories that reflect the communities they serve. They want authentic voices, local impact, and clear relevance. Understanding how regional journalists think and the tools broadcasters use will dramatically increase your chances of securing meaningful broadcast coverage.
PRs can miss out on achieving powerful results by focusing too much on securing national programming and neglecting regional strategy. One of the biggest unfulfilled opportunities in broadcast PR is ignoring the power of local and regional newsrooms. While nationals set the wider agenda, it’s regional outlets that show how a story lands in real communities – and if your story plays out across different regional outlets across the country, it can have far more reach than might otherwise be achieved.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to get on local news and why local coverage can be so effective in reaching PR goals.
Why Local News Still Matters
Local and regional broadcasters remain some of the most trusted media platforms in the UK. Whether it’s BBC Local Radio, ITV regional newsrooms, or community stations, these outlets:
- Demonstrate how issues affect people at a local scale
- Show the human side of national issues
- Feed stories into national news pipelines
National programmes like BBC Breakfast, Sky News, and ITV News routinely scan regional coverage to understand how a story is playing out on the ground. If your story resonates locally, it has a strong chance of being picked up more widely.
What Local Newsrooms Look For
To get on local news, stories need to be anchored in:
- Local relevance
Producers always ask: “Why does this matter to people here?”
A great test is answering at the planning stage of your campaign: How does this affect Sarah, who lives down the road?
- Real people
Human stories trump corporate messages every time. Local case studies in particular are extremely effective, even vital, in gaining local coverage. The voices of regional customers, employees and volunteers can also strengthen a campaign.
- Timeliness
There must be a clear “why now?”. Fresh data, seasonal relevance, new research or a timely campaign all help you get noticed.
A fourth factor that makes the lives of time-pressed journalists easier is:
- Strong visuals
If you can provide assets such as B-roll or pre-recorded soundbites, you will lower the barrier to entry for producers who wish to pursue the story. Production hubs like ITV Shared Content, when matched with case studies across regions by agencies like ours, will capture bespoke content to create the news pieces, but any help a brand can provide in this regard will make a pitch more enticing.
Speaking of ITV Shared Content…
ITV Shared Content: The Ultimate Local-to-National Engine
ITV Shared Content is one of the most powerful yet under-used routes to regional and national exposure. With reach across 11 regions and an audience of around 4 million nightly, Shared Content looks for:
- Local case studies in multiple regions.
- Fresh data with regional breakdowns.
- Stories affecting people at scale.
- Interviewees who feel relatable, diverse and local.
By supplying strong visuals and multiple interviewees across different regions, your story gains the structure and colour ITV needs to build a compelling, multi-region package – something our team executes regularly.
Case Study: How a Puppy Class Landed ITV Granada and Cross-Platform Reach
A perfect example of how to get on local news comes from a recent Broadcast Revolution campaign with Guide Dogs.
We invited ITV Granada to a Halloween-themed puppy socialisation class at Magical Woodland in Cheshire. It had everything local TV wants:
- A feel-good, emotional hook
- Great (and adorable!) visuals
- Strong timeliness
- A useful service story for the public
- Strong filming opportunities
- A clear local angle
The story performed so well that it was also shared across ITV Granda’s Instagram channel — proving that strong regional coverage can deliver meaningful cross-platform impact.
Tips for creating compelling case studies and regional pitches
Brands that bring insight, evidence and real stories get featured far more than those that bring announcements.
- Start with the human angle.
- Link your brand/organisation to a broader issue.
- Show how your work impacts local people.
- Contribute expertise, not advertising.
- Offer customer or staff stories.
- Provide a strong visual angle.
- Ensure you have regional/relevant spokespeople who are both media trained and available at speed.
Case Study: Showing why your industry’s issues really matter to people across the country
This story shows the power of combining fresh data, regional case studies and a credible senior voice.
When the Salon Employers Association, representing over 15,500 professionals, revealed that 50% of salon owners were considering closure, we localised the issue by gathering real stories from across the UK.
Pairing those lived experiences with Toby Dicker, the association’s Co-Founder, gave the story scale and relatability – with widespread regional coverage paired with national news appearances on outlets like Sky News.
Takeaway: When a national issue has genuine local impact, and you can prove it through people and data, it becomes a compelling broadcast story.
When you provide strong local relevance, regional case studies, and a clear human impact, your story becomes more than just a pitch – it becomes something viewers can see themselves in. Focus on the local human story, and you will find your brand’s voice amplified across the regional and national media landscape.
